Tensioning apparatus



Dec. 22, 1953 F. R. PIPER ET AL 2,663,118

TENSIONING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 195} 3 Sheets-Sheet l F. R. PIPER ET AL TENSIONING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 22, 1953 Filed May 1, 1951 9 bu Nb 0 vb I 1 w I mm o sLu E ii H Qm b3 2 bu MNN a. bh a. @NN NH 0 Nu v.

i atentecl bee. 22, 1953 2,663,118 TENSIONING APPARATUS Frank R. Piper and James M-. Gardner, Fairfax;

'Ala., assignors to West Point Manufacturing Company, Shawmut, Ala., a corporation of Alabama Application May 1, 1951, Serial No. 224,022

6 Claims.

This'invention relates to apparatus for placing a length of material such as textile web under tension for the purpose of performing embroidery I or the like.

apparatus in which a continuous web of material may be clamped at a first position and drawing 1 means located at a second position may draw the web in tension against the restraining action of the clamping means.

Further objects and the entire scope of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description and from the appended claims.

The invention may be understood in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows aside view of apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 shows a top sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a sectional detail taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view from the front of the apparatus of the above figures.

Figure 5 is a detail view showing a locking arrangement.

Referring now to the drawings, it is the general object of the apparatus to stretch a web of material designated as W throughout an area substantially included beneath the bracket in in Figure 1 so that an operator seated to the right of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1 may embroider a design on the web W by use of a con-, ventional embroidering needle held in the hand of the operator.

The apparatus isarranged to be supported on a framework comprising upright standards I 2, [4, I6 and 18 which extend from the floor level to -any suitable support (not shown) on the overhead of the building in which the apparatus may be located. The uprights i2 and I4 are spaced laterally as best shown in Figure 2 and have mounted horizontally therebetween supporting beams 20 and 22. Beam 20 is attached by any convenient means to the inner side of upright l2 and beam 22 is similarly supported on the inner side dfupright I4. This arrangement is best shown in Figure 2. In like fashion between uprights l6 and I8 there are mounted horizontal beams and 26, respectively. Each of the beams 20', 22, 24 and 28 extends rearwardly from the uprights standards and terminates in a rear 'end of the apparatus.

end designated in each case as 28. In addition, the horizontal beams extend forwardly of the upright supports and terminate at a forward end designated 30 in each instance. The forward ends 30 of the horizontal beams may be further supported from the floor by upstanding supports 32 and, the supports 32 and 34 being positioned between horizontal beams 20, 22, and 24, 28, respectively.

To receive a supply of the web W there is provided beneath the horizontal support beams a curved hopper panel 36. At the rear of the apparatus the hopper panel 38 is attached by any suitable means to the rear ends 28 of the horizontal support members 22 and 24. At the forward end of the apparatus the hopper panel 38 terminates at a transverse bar member 38. Bar 38 is attached as by bolts 40 to a depending hanger 42 which is attached by bolts 44 and 48 to the underside of horizontal support members 22 and 24. It will be understood from this description of the hopper panel 38 that a considerable length of web W may lie within the thus formed hopper in a folded manner as illustrated in Figure 1.

It will now be assumed that a length of web W is placed within the hopper 36 and an end of the web will be extended from the region of the bar 38 toward the forward ends 30 of the horizontal beams 20, 22, 24 and 28. At the just mentioned position the web W will be trained over the stationary bar 48 of a clamping arrangement which also comprises a movable clamping bar 50. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the fixed clamping bar 48 consists of a C-shaped channel member having its open side facing the forward The bar 48 is further characterized by having its open edges curled inwardly and rearwardly as at 52. The movable clamping bar 58 which cooperates with the fixed member 48 may be of similar C-cross section but will be provided with a liner 54 of a resilient material such as rubber. Liner 54 will be provided with an extruding ridge 58 which will be so positioned as to fit within the curled edges 52 of the fixed clamping bar 48 whenever the movable bar 50 is reciprocated toward the fixed bar. As will be entirely clear from the drawings, 11? the web W is trained over the open side of fixed clamp 48 and the movable clamp is forcibly moved into engagement with the fixed clamp the web W will be tightly clamped between the liner 54 and the curled edges 52. The clamp is shown in its open position in Figure 1 and in its clamped position in Figure 3.

Fixed clamp bar 48 is arranged to be secured to the horizontal supporting members 28, 22, 24 and 26 by any convenient means such as bolting or welding.

Apparatus of the type now being described may be readily adapted for gauging of a plurality of units in side-by-side relation and in part this is the reason for providing four uprights and horizontal supporting members as shown in the drawings. With such an arrangement in mind, it becomes clear that the fixed clamp member 15 may be a continuous member extending beyond the outer side of horizontal supporting members 20 and 2E and mayextend for like func tional employment in units of tensioning apparatus to either side of the one illustrated.

The movable clamp bar Ell is supported for movement into engagement with clamp bar 43 in the following manner: A pair of horizontally positioned operating rods 58 and 59 are provided, these rods being secured at their forward ends to the movable clamp member 58 adjacent the ends of the latter. As best shown in Figure 2, the movable clamp member will be of such length that its ends will lie approximately at the inner surfaces of horizontal support members 22 and 2d and the edge 55 or" liner 54 will lie substantially within these limits. As indicated in Figure 2, the web W will be of somewhat less width than the spacing of operating rods 58 and Gil and, therefore, the latter will not interfere with the Web W.

Operating rods 58 and es extend through apertures 52 and E4 in the fixed clamp bar 48 and also extend through apertures 55 and 68 in the upright standards as and I6. The operating rods 58 and '58 are thus enabled to be reciprocated in a direction which will permit the movable clamp bar 58 to engage the fixed clamp bar 48 as previously described.

To reciprocate the movable clamp bar 5% the operating rods "58 and 5!) are respectively provided with sleeves it and 12 which are fixed by any suitable means approximately mid-way between the fixed clamp bar l8 and the uprights it and it. Each of the sleeves it and "i2 is provided with a depending hinge housing M which carries a transverse .pin 16,-the latter extending through the sides of a yoke 78. Welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the lower ends of the arms of yokes 18 are connecting rods 8B which extend from the yokes to a pivotalmountingon a transverse operating shaft 82 which extends across the apparatus substantially the distance between the horizontal supporting members it and is. Theshaft 82 is pivotally mounted from the horizontal supports 22 and 253 by means of rocker arms 35 and 86, respectively.

At the left hand side of the apparatus as viewed in Figure 2 there is mounted to the underside of horizontal beams Eiiand 22 an air cylinder 88 which is provided with an extending piston rod 88. Fixedly secured to thepiston rod $0 is a transverse coupling arm 92 having connected at its end opposite the connection to rod 90 a re verse operating rod 94. The-rod 94 is suitably curved to permit clearance below the air cylin- 'der 88 but nevertheles permits a pivotal connection to the previously mentioned shaft 82 adjacent the rocker arm at.

The air cylinder 88 is provided with an inlet conduit St which will permit air under pressure to be introduced into the cylinder '88 to'cause the piston rod '98 to be extended from the air cylinder. Accordingly, from the foregoing it will be apparent that if air under pressure is introduced through conduit 9% therocker armsfid and 86 are rotated (clockwisein Figure l and counter clockwise in Figure 3) so that the-operatingarods 58 and so are reciprocated rearwardly and the movable clamp bar '58 engages the Web W- between the liner 54 and thefixed clamp bar '48.

A valve IUD is provided which may beoperated by a conveniently located knee board. IE2 to introduce air into conduit 96 as desired. A supply of compressed air is made available at valve I00 through conduit HM leading from an air supply manifold 1%. The knee board I02 and valve I00 may be arranged one or two different Ways to suit the convenience and comfort of the operator. The first arrangement may be that compressed air will normally be available at conduit 96 to maintain the piston rod in the advanced position so that'the movable clamp bar 5% is firmly engaged with the fixed clamp bar 48. Actuation of the knee board lfiZflmay then serve to out off the supply from conduit I04 .and to exhaust conduit 9'5 to atmosphere so that the piston rod 90 will be permitted to retract. By this arrangement knee pressure need be exerted 'on board I02 only when it is desired to move the web W. The other arrangement may be to have the supply of air to conduit 96 normally cutoff requiring pressure on the knee board I02 to advance" the piston rod to to clamp the Web W- between clamp bars 58 and 5t). I

A collar I08 is fixedly attached to each of the operating rods 58 and at a short distance forward of the upright standards I4 and I6 .and a spring Ilil is placed between the collars 108 and a Washer 3 i2 which lies against the upright standard I4 or It. The spring IIO has anormal'extending position as shown in Figure 1 and .will be under compression .as shown in Figure .3"w-hen the clamp bars t8 and 50 are engaged. .Accordingly, when air pressure .in conduit v9G is'cut off from supply conduit 1G4 and 96 otherwise .exhausted to atmosphere the springs .ll flwill cause the operating rodsfi'a and 60 to retractandopen the clamp. It may be desired .to lock the clamp .in its open position and to thus positively prevent accidental closingof the clamp by the air .cylinderfiSI For example, in threadin the web W through the clamp it may be desirable .from a safety standpoint 'to insure that the clamp cannot be accidentally closed. To provide for thi a locking shaft ill is rotatably mounted on upestanding bracket arms .i It and H8, these brackets .being mounted upon the upper side of horizontal support beam 22. Collars 1'29 and 22 areprov'ided on shaft i It these collars being fixedly mounted on the shaft i l i closely adjacent .thefacing sides of brackets l is and Lilli, thereby preventing longitudinal movement of shaft H4 whileyet .permittirig rotation of this shaft. The shaft .II'Q terminates at a forward end .at a positiongenerally adjacent the web clamp and available to the operator. At this forward end an operating handle I24 is provided so that the operatormay rotate the shaft "us to'bring a clamping arm I25 into a position .whereat a transverse opening I28 in the clamp arm I26 will partially surround the operating rod 58. This .de'tail'is best observed in Figure 5. The .arm 126 is effective in looking the position of operating rod 58 by rea sonof a collar I30 which is fixedly secured to the rearward endof rod '58. Asbest illustrated in Figure 2, when the springs "IlITII .are effective to-openthe clamp thecollar I30 willbe'inaposition closely adjacent .the .rear surface [of .up-

rig-ht standard it and .the .c amperm 1.26 will be fixedly securedon shaft I Met such ta point that counterclockwise movement of the handle because of theinterconnection between rods 58 and 60 by virtue of shaft 82, the entire clamp will be prevented from closing under the action of air unintentionally introduced into air cylinder 88.

The manner of tensioning the web after being clamped between clamp bars 48 and 50 will now be explained in detail: A main or driven tensioning roller I32 is provided against which an idler roller I34 is engaged. The main roller I32 is mounted in any suitable bearing blocks I36 which are mounted on upright standards I4 and I6. The roller I32 is positioned on the upright standards at a convenient height so that the web W, if trained over the top of roller I32, will assume a slanted position, as shown in Figure 1,'to thereby provide the area under bracket I0 whereupon the operator may perform the embroidery operation. The idler roller I34 is mounted for rotation in suitable bearing blocks I38, these blocks being mounted for reciprocating motion on rods I40. The rods extend through suitable apertures in the forwardly extending arms I42 and I44 of brackets I46 which are attached to the forward faces of uprights standards I4 and I6. A collar I40 is fixedly attached to rods I40 between the bracket arms I42 and I44 and a compression spring I 50 is providedbetween the collars I48 and the upper bracket arms I44. Accordingly, it will be apparent that the springs I50 will serve to urge the idler roller I34 into firm engagement with the main roller I32.

In operation, after the web W has been threaded through the previously described clamping arrangement, the end of the web is trained between the top of roller I32 and the bottom of roller I34 and is thereafter lead into the rear portion of the previously described hopper which is defined by the hopper panel 36. A guide shoe I52 is suitably mounted on the upright standards and positioned just forward of the main roller I 32 in a position aligned with the web as tensioned between the rollers and the clamping arrangement. Shoe I52 will serve to support the upper extremity of the tensioned area above the area I0 where the embroidery operation is performed.

The main roller I 32 is fixedly mounted on a shaft I54 which extends through the previously mentioned bearing blocks I36 and also at its left hand end, as viewed in Figure 4, extends beyond the bearing block I36 and has fixedly mounted thereon a fiat pulley I56 and a ratchet wheel I 58. A ratchet pawl I60 is mounted upon a .pin I62 which is supported by a triangular-shaped bracket I64 from the forward face of upright standard I2. A viewed in Figure 1, the ratchet pawl I60 will permit the ratchet wheel I58 to rotate counterclockwise but will prevent clockwise rotation.

Power to rotate the main roller I32 is provided from a belt I66 which supplies power from any convenient source (not shown) to a pulley I68 mounted near the upper extremity of the uprights standards. The pulley I68 may be fixedly mounted on a shaft I and a second pulley I12 may be also fixedly mounted on shaft I10 and be aligned with the previously mentioned pulley I56 on shaft I54, so that a belt I14 may be arranged to run over the pulleys I56 and I12. The pulley I68 will be driven in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1, the ratchet pawl I60 being so oriented as to permit this rotation. Accordingly, it will be apparent that when and if the belt I14 is tfis'loned to transmit power the roller I32 will rotate counterclockwise and the web W will be placed under tension when the clamping members 48 and 50 are operated into engagement.

To control the application of tensioning power to the roller I32 there is provided a belt-tightening idler pulley I16 which is rotatably mounted on a bell crank lever I18 having an upwardly extending arm I on which the pulley I16 is mounted and having a forwardly extending arm I82. The bell crank is mounted for pivotal movement at pivot pin I84, the latter pin being retained in angle brackets I86 and I88 mounted on upright standards I2 and I4, respectively. Adjacent the forward end I82 of the bell crank I18 there is pivotally mounted a connecting link I90 which extends downwardly between the horizontal beams 20 and 22 and terminates at its lower end at a pivot pin I92, which pin serves to pivotally attach arm I90 with a rocker arm I94. Rocker arm I94 is pivotally mounted at its rearward end by means of a pivot pin I96 to a suitable bracket I98 mounted on the forward surface of upright standard I4. An air cylinder 200 is mounted on the underneath surfaces of horizontal support beams 20 and 22 and a piston rod 202 extending downwardly from air cylinder 200 is arranged to engage with the rocker arm I94 approximately midway between the ends of the latter. The air cylider 200 is provided with an air supply conduit 204 which leads from a foot control valve 206. A supply of air under pressure for the valve 206 is available through a conduit 208 leading from the previously mentioned air supply manifold I06. The operator may actuate the foot valve 206 to supply air under pressure through the conduit 204 to the cylinder 200. When this occurs the piston rod 202 will be extended from theair cylinder and the linkage comprising arms I94I90 and bell crank I18 will move the idler pulley I16 against the belt I14 to tension the latter and thus cause roller I32 to move counterclockwise as viewed in Figure 1. Assuming the clamp bars 48 and 50 have been firmly engaged under the action of air cylinder 88, the web W will be moved between the rollers I32 and I34 and tension will be established in the web dependin upon the power available from belt I66 and the pressure exerted between belt tensioning pulley. The ratchet pawl I60 will permit the roller I32 to take up the web W until a predetermined tension has been reached. The degree of tension will be adjusted to a predetermined amount by any of several apparent means such as by arranging the air pressure in cylinder 200 to have an upper limit so that the belt I14 will slip after the tension in web W prevents further rotation of the roller I32. After the desired tension has been obtained the operator may release the foot control valve 206 and the pawl I60 will serve to maintain the roller in its advanced position notwithstanding the fact that the pressure of roller I16 is released.

Movement of the bell crank I18 under the action of air cylinder 200 may be conveniently limited by a post 2 I 0 mounted on the horizontal support members 20 and 22 and being provided with a suitably padded upper end 2| 2. A tension spring 2I4 may extend between a pin 2I6 on the arm I82 of bell crank I18 and a suitable supporting bar 2I8 mounted near the upper extremity of the apparatus.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that by this invention there is provided a novel arrangement in which a length of material such as texile web may be readily advanced and then ten sioned in various predetermined positions by con veniently located foot and/or knee controls whereby the operator need not lay aside his em broidery needle device or the like in order to properly tension the material in a new position. Normally, in the embroidery of textile web the web will have already printed thereon various designs which the embroidery operator is to fol: low. Accordingly, after one area has been embroidered the operator need only release the clamping arrangement by the knee control and then operate the foot control to advance the web. When the web has reached the correct advanced position, as indicated by the location of the printed designs within the area under bracket It the knee control is operated to clamp the material. The foot control is then employed to bring the web into its tensioned condition whereupon the controls require no further attention while the operator goes about the embroidery operation.

It is expected that after readin the foregoing specification many other embodiments of the invention will become apparent. Therefore, it is not intended that the foregoing detailed description limit the invention. The true scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.

W e claim:

1. In tensioning apparatus, means located at a first position for clamping a web of material, means located at a second position for drawing the web in tension against the restraining action of the clamping means, separately operable means for advancing the drawing means, and means comprising unidirectional motion means operatively associated with the drawing means for retaining the drawing means at a predeter mined advanced position to maintain tension in the web of material.

2. In material tensioning apparatus, clamping means located at a first position for clamping a web of material, drawing means located at a second position for drawing the web in tension against the restraining action of the clamping means, separately operabl means for advancing the drawing means in a tensioning direction, and unidirectional motion means operatively associated with the drawing means for retaining the drawing means in predetermined advanced positions to maintain predetermined tension in the web of material.

3. In tensioning apparatus, a supporting framework, fixed and movable clamp bars located at a first position on the framework, meansfor mov ing the clamp bars into engagement with one another to clamp a web of material therebetween, drawing means including interengaging main and idler rollers located at a second position on the framework, means for rotating the rollers for drawing a web of material in tension against the restraining action of the clampingbars between which the web is clamped, means forrotating the drawing rollers in a web tension direction, and ratchet pawl means operatively associated with the main drawing roller for retaining the drawing rollers in a predetermined advanced position to maintain predetermined tension in the web of material.

4:. In tensioning apparatus, a supporting framework, a hopper chamber in the framework for retaining a supply of textile web upon which embroidery is to be performed, horizontal beams included in the framework, a first web clamping bar fixedly mounted on the horizontal beams, a second web clamping'bar,.operating rods having ends thereof fixedly secured to the second clamping bar, vertical standards included in the framework, apertures in the standards and in the first web clamping bar for slidably receiving the operating rods, a pneumatic cylinder having a piston, means interconnecting the piston and the operating rods, and means for selectively supplying air under pressure to the cylinder to react against the piston to move the second Web clamping bar into engagement with the first bar, whereby a length of web lead from the hopper chamber and between the first and second clamping bars may be clamped therebetween.

5. In tensioning apparatus, a supporting framework, a first web clamping bar fixedly mounted on the framework, a second web clamping bar, operating rods having ends thereof fixedly secured to the second clamping bar, means on the framework for slidably receiving the operating rods, means for moving the operating rods for engaging the first web clamping bar with the second bar, a web advancing roller rotatably mounted on the framework, an idler roller also mounted on the framework and resiliently urged against the advancing roller, power means for applying rotational power to the advancing roller, and unidirectional motion means for permitting rotation of the advancing roller in only one direction, whereby a web of material extending between the clamping bars and then between the rollers may be tensioned over the length of the web between the bars and the rollers to permit embroidery or the like to be performed on the web.

6. In tensioning apparatus, a supporting framework, a hopper chamber in the framework for retaining a supply of textile web upon which embroidery is to be performed, horizontal beams included in the framework, a first web clamping bar fixedly mounted on the horizontal beams, a second web clamping bar, operating rods having ends thereof fixedly secured to the second clamping bar, vertical standards included in the framework, apertures in the standards and in the first web clamping bar for slidably receiving the operating rods, a pneumatic cylinder having a piston, means interconnecting the piston and the operating rods, means for selectively supplying air under pressure to the cylinder to react against the piston to move the second web clamping bar into engagement with the first bar, a web advancing roller rotatably mounted on the standards, an idler roller also mounted on the standards and resiliently urged against the advancing roller, power means for applying rotational power to the advancing roller, and unidirectional moti-on means for permitting rotation of the advancing roller in only one direction, whereby a web of material extending between the clamping bars and then between the rollers may be tensioned over the length of the web between the bars and the rollers to permit embroidery or the like to be performed on the Web.

FRANK R. PIPER. JAMES M. GARDNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,241,768 Rush Oct. 2, 1917 2,250,677 Paulsen July 29, 1941 2,410,240 Schlicksup-p Oct. 29, 1946 2,54l1,737 Bardsley et al. Feb. 18, 1951 2,570,695 Levine Oct. 9, 1951 

